Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My Journey to Heritage Key, Part 3 - Stonehenge

Fresh from my adventure in Amarna, I returned to the Travel Center and walked through the "Stonehenge Portal." This transports one to a staging area, in which one has the choice of four different eras: 2400 BC, prior to the construction of the stone circles; 2300 BC, during construction; 1500 BC, in which one experiences life in a Druid village and a burial ceremony inside the circle; and modern day, in which one celebrates the solstice with modern Druids.First things first, however: as with Life on the Nile, there are several Druid outfits from which to choose, in order to blend in with the natives. I change quickly, and approach my trusty guide.

First stop: 2400 BC! I walk up to the natives, who tell me a little about the place and their lives.A mini-game involves wandering the perimeter of the setting, examining the informational signs that describe the flora and fauna one would have encountered at that time. Below, I pose with my prize!

Moving forward a century, I see the workmen erecting the great stones. Below, I help raise a stone into place. A mini-game involves helping a man repair his wagon by collecting nearby logs. Hey, no one ever said that exploring the past would be work-free!The great slabs are largely in place, though the site does not yet look complete.

Following my guide to 1500 BC (you can see the blond man in the light-colored robe standing by the teleporter in the picture below), I start in the Druid village. The village has a funeral planned for the next day, and preparations are underway. I help prepare a simple meal by combining various ingredients. [Author's aisde: that taxed my cooking ability.]I then participated in the funeral rites. The priest explains the scene. Signs provide information about how archaeologists made the finds that allowed them to draw conclusions about how Stonehenge was used.

Finally, I travel forward to the present day and see Stonehenge as it is currently preserved (including the highway traveling past the site). Modern Druids complain about the lack of access to the site and its proximity to the highway. Finally, I take a quiz to illustrate how little I really know about Stonehenge. (Look at the shadows on the picture below!)

At the end of another enjoyable day, I return one last time with my guide back to the portal, and from there back to the Travel Center, where another adventure awaited.